I am the quiet political type. I don’t waste time getting in political arguments with friends and family, I know how I feel about the issues and I know which candidates mostly share my beliefs and to be totally honest my candidate did not win yesterday. That being said, I am not sad or disheartened with the results, nor am I surprised, upset, annoyed or frustrated. What I am is curious, skeptical, excited, interested and optimistic.
Those words mean a lot of different things to different people, but I will explain a little bit about what they mean to me. There is very little need to go over his stance on all the issues, but there are a few issues that I think we will all keep an eye on besides the economy. While everyone has high hopes that Obama can fix the economy, it’s important to remember that the economy is not a dial that the president turns. It’s not something that George W. Bush has been sitting in a room plotting to trash with Dr. Evil, Gargamel and Sauron. The economy is a fragile ecosystem that rides the hopes and fears of our public just as much as it rides the price of fuel, interest rates and credit debt.
Now I am all for Joe the Plumber, and there was a time I tried to be Joe the Plumber, but I think that in a world economy, where success is won in scale and breadth, betting the farm on small business is a losing strategy. Sure, we should break down barriers and make it much less treacherous for anyone to start their own business, but the world markets don’t trade on the popularity of Gramma’s Kitchen and I am not watching my 401k sink like a stone because the Bikini Barista got closed. Perhaps we made some mistakes (NAFTA) that made it a bit too easy for big companies and more importantly employers to hire very nearly slave labor in all sorts of armpits of this globe. Maybe we went a little too far with tax breaks for companies who can truly afford it while we watched behemoths like Wal-Mart play our zoning and tax-break rules like financial hop-scotch. Maybe lots of things I guess, the point is that 52% of Americans chose our next president and I just hope they have the patience to watch Mr. Obama struggle with the same issues that faced George Bush.
How will the public weigh Obama when the next Katrina devastates a coast and the public sees that it wasn’t a tyrannical George Bush hoarding aid like a Somalian warlord? How will the public weigh Obama in two years when we are most likely still in Iraq? How will we judge what appears to be an honorable man when just like 43 presidents before him, he fails to keep the promises he made because in reality, they just aren’t his decisions alone to make?
I think that about covers my curious, skeptical side. But why do I say I am excited, interested and optimistic. I think Barack Obama has the unique position and ability to bring together a lot of people who just yesterday were incredibly divided. I can’t speak for all Republicans, but I like many I am guessing, won’t pitch our tools in the back of the truck and leave the work site in disgust. The job has to be done and it really doesn’t matter what color suit the foreman is wearing. I love America, I love this country and support the leadership even when they do things that make me scratch my head or curse. I have no intentions of following Johnny Depp to France and I still pledged allegiance when Slick Willy was getting, um, oral assistance in the oval office. I even give him the distinct honor of being human, just like George Bush.
If you think he was sitting up there with horns on his head trying to run America into the ground, I feel sorry for you. If you disagree with his policy, I respect you. If you think he did it alone, I wonder about you. And last, if you think it was done with zero Democratic Party involvement, I only ask you pick up a text book from your child’s civics class and take a peek at how our government works, it’s important.
I am glad that African-Americans have a reason to be proud. I only hope that everyone was still proud to be Americans in 2004, and 2000, and every other day that we have called ourselves Americans. I just hope we can all be proud and for the same reasons. Intelligent leadership, competent policy and a good measure of strength and compassion make a good leader. I truly believe these are characteristics that will define Barack Obama’s tenure as president.
I will continue to blog about technology with passion and excitement, and I will continue to be American with those same qualities. I hope you excuse this short interruption of my normal content.
God Bless America.
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I am a software engineer, blogger, photographer, musician, technology enthusiast, father, husband, brother, son and obsessive compulsive weirdo. I enjoy riding bikes, watching movies, listening to music and reading like a mad man. If any of these topics interest you, you have come to the right place!
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